All Year Long
by The Sweet One
Summary: MWPP. Lily gets her letter to go to Hogwarts. She meets James, Sirius, Remus and Sarah in Diagon Alley. Please R/R!
1. Default Chapter Title

A/N: Please R/R and tell me if I should keep writing.  
Disclaimer: All things belong to J.K. Rowling, unless you've never heard of them before.  
  
All Year Long: Chapter One, The Letter  
  
Lily Evans stared at the letter in her hands with disbelief. She looked once again to see the same thing that she saw before. It was a letter that was inviting her to come to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unbelievable. She stared harder then ever at the thick parchment.  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)  
  
Dear Ms. Evans,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been excepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed the list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September the 1st. We await your owl by no later then July 31st.   
  
Yours Sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
  
"Mum, what is this?" asked Lily, thinking that maybe her Mum had played some kind of joke on her, but knowing that her Mum could also never think anything up, this, well, imaginative.  
  
"I really don't know, hun. But I do believe it's inviting you to a school."   
  
"Really?" said Lily dryly.   
  
"Well, do you want to go or not, I mean, honestly and truly, it looks kind of fun."   
  
Lily sighed. Her mum was one of the nicest people in the world, but she was kind of absent-minded. So she decided to go ask her dad about what he thought about the matter.  
  
"Um, please stay here." Lily said, rather stupidly she thought, to the owl that had brought the letter. It had said we await your owl so she could only guess she was to send a letter back with this one, since she was quite short on owls at her house.  
  
Finding her dad in the living room reading the newspaper, she showed him the letter, and asked him did he think she should go.  
  
"Well, now, I think that could be interesting. Did you show your mother?"  
  
"Yes, and she thought that it might be fun."  
  
Her dad laughed. "Well, dear, I think you'll have to make the choice yourself. But remember, your mother and I will be here to support you, no matter what you do."  
  
Deciding that the conversation was over, seeing that her dad had continued to read the newspaper, Lily went back to the kitchen to write her answer.  
  
Lily thought about what Petunia might say. Her older sister had never been her favorite, for she was bossy, and spoiled, but she could also be nice...sometimes. But she was also one of those people who only did what everyone else did, and probably would be horrified that her sister would go somewhere that was completely un-normal. Oh well, thought Lily, I don't care what she thinks.   
  
She found the owl waiting in the spot she had left it in, and laughed as she saw her mom trying to feed it some salad from dinner.  
  
Not knowing if she should use the back of the letter of not, she grabbed a plain white paper and wrote in her neat handwriting:   
  
Dear Ms. McGonagall,  
I would love to attend Hogwarts.   
Thank you,  
Lily Evans  
  
Lily, looking at what she had written, thought it looked quite stupid, but she didn't know what else to say, so she folded it and gave it to the owl who clamped it in his beak, and flew off through the window it came in.  
  
~*~  
  
When Lily woke up the next morning, she felt different. Then she remembered all about how the owl had came to her last night, and that she would be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She suddenly became excited, and quickly got out of bed and put her clothes on. After she had finished dressing, and was halfway down the stairs, did she start to get worried. How would she get all the supplies she needed? How would she get to the school? Just then she heard her mother call to her, "Lily! Oh, Lily! There is someone here to talk to you."  
  
Lily, unused to having visitors, besides her best friend Andrea, raced down the stairs. She ran into the living room to see something, that, well, she didn't expect to see.  
  
Sitting there was a man. Well, he looked like a giant. He had huge hands, bigger then her mom's frying pans, feet that seemed to be as big as Lily's four feet, eleven inches, and a wild mane of hair and beard that made Lily's red mass of curls look very tame indeed.  
  
"'Lo there Lily. Me name is Ruebeus Hagrid. You can call me just Hagrid. I'm the gamekeeper at 'Ogwarts. Professor Dumbledore sent me to take you to Diagon Alley, 'cus he thought you mightn't not know where it is."   
  
Lily was amazed. Just a minute ago she'd been thinking how she would need all these things. Now, here was this person, telling her he'd take her everywhere. Could these people read minds? But somehow, Lily couldn't help trusting this Hagrid.   
  
Lily looked at her mom and said, "Mom?"  
  
Her mother seemed to trust Hagrid to, because after only a few seconds of thinking, her mother said, "Of course, dear."   
  
Her mother went into the kitchen and came out with what Lily could tell was money.  
  
"Mr. Hagrid, will this money work?"  
  
"Yes, we'll trade it at Gringott's for gold."   
  
"Okay. I'll leave it with you, just so Lil' won't lose it."  
  
Lily, seeing how much money there was, had to agree with her mother. She wouldn't want to be responsible for all that money if it got lost.  
  
"And 'fore I forget, here's yer tickets for the train to get to 'Ogwarts. You just have to walk through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. Then you'll be at Platform 9 3/4, where the 'Ogwarts Express will be."  
  
Her mother looked at the tickets in surprise. Then she nodded okay, and smiled, saying, "Okay, you go get your stuff Lil' and have lots of fun!"  
  
Lily looked at Hagrid, then at her mom, and then back at Hagrid.  
  
For some reason, she had this strange feeling she was going to have the adventure of her lifetime.  
  
~*~  
  
Lily looked in amazement at all the shops that were in, what had Hagrid called it? Diagon Alley. It was wonderful. There were tons of shops. Most of them were small, and they looked, well, magical. It was a gorgeous day, and she didn't seem to be the only person getting school supplies for Hogwarts.   
  
After they had traded their money in for wizarding gold, a group of rowdy kids passed. Lily could tell that they weren't new to the wizarding world, for they were by themselves, and they were talking about something called 'Quidditch' which was something from the magical world. She heard snatches of their conversation as they sat down at a table outside an ice cream parlor.  
  
"Oi! Hagrid!" yelled a boy, with messy hair, blue eyes, and glasses.  
  
"'Ello James," said Hagrid, walking over to where the kids were.  
  
"'Lo Hagrid! How are you?" said a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl.  
  
"I'm fine Sarah. Everyone this is Lily Evans, she's going to 'Ogwarts too, you know."   
  
Everyone finally seemed to notice Lily, who had been standing behind Hagrid.  
  
"Hello Lily. I'm Sarah McKinnon, this is James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin."  
  
"Hello," said Lily shyly.   
  
Lily looked at all the people Sarah had pointed to. Sirius Black was a tall good-looking boy, with longish black hair, a mischievous eyes. Remus Lupin had light brown hair, was shorter then Sirius, and had the same look in his eyes. In fact, as she looked at all of them, who were talking to Hagrid, they all had that look in their eyes. The first word that came to Lily's head was troublemakers.  
  
"So, Lily, what house do you think you'll be in?"  
  
"Um, house?" said Lily, drawing a blank. Did the letter say something about houses?  
  
"Are you muggle-born?" asked James.  
  
"Muggle?" said Lily, feeling even more stupid then before.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna leave you kids here, I'm gonna get a drink in the Leaky Caldron. Will you guys show Lily around."  
  
"Sure, we will." Said Remus.  
  
After Hagrid left, Remus explained that a muggle was non-magic person.  
  
"Oh..." said Lily, still not quite getting it.  
  
Sarah seemed to sense that Lily was uncomfortable, and came and whispered something in her ear. Lily giggled, and then blushed.  
  
"Hey, guys, let's go get our books." Said Remus.  
  
The other three groaned.   
  
And then Sarah groaned again.  
  
Sarah grabbed Sirius and Lily's hands, and Sirius, who was pretending to choke James, pulled him, then Remus came running after them. They all ducked in the bushes, then James, who was still rubbing his neck, asked what was going on.  
  
"Look!"   
  
They all looked up and saw a group of kids come in and sit by where they had been. Sirius explained that they were a group of kids who were goody-goody's to the greatest degree, and they told on you, and would cry if you teased them-they were big babies.   
  
"What are there names?"  
  
"Miranda Goshawk, Bathilda Bagshot, Adalbert Waffling, Emeric Switch, Philida Spore, Newt Scamander." Said James, counting the names on his fingers.  
  
"They are gonna be Hufflepuff...the whole lot of them." Said Sarah.  
  
"Well, why does it bother you if they cry or tell, unless you guys are telling me something..." said Lily slyly.  
  
The four looked at each other, then back at Lily, all of them with looks of pure innocence on their faces.   
  
"You guys suck and making innocent faces." Said Lily bluntly.  
  
"Well, you try it sometime." Said Remus.  
  
"Let's just say, you don't want to get on our bad side..." said Sirius, chuckling softly.  
  
They continued talking about stuff, explaining to Lily what Quidditch was, about the four houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.  
  
"We are all gonna be in Gryffindor," said Remus, without any doubt, whatsoever.  
  
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff." Said Lily sadly.  
  
"You'll be in whatever house you want to be in." Said James helpfully.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Lily.  
  
"Well, you know, if you say in your head what house you want to be in, then the hat will put you in it."   
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Hey, Lily, are you going to try out for your house Quidditch team?" Said Sarah, excitement in her voice.  
  
"No...I don't think so..."   
  
"Aw, why not? Me, Sirius, and James are gonna be the chasers."   
  
"What about Remus?"  
  
"I don't like Quidditch like they do." Said Remus with a smile.  
  
"I don't understand why first years can't be on the team. That is so unfair." Said Sirius.  
  
"Oh stop complaining Sirius Lee Black." Said James, with a mischievous grin on his face.  
  
Sarah snorted. Then she muttered, "of all the names for your parents to name you."  
  
Then they all laughed.  
  
"Hey you guys, do you think we could get out of this bush?" Said Remus, pulling out one or the branches that was sticking in his ear.  
  
"Yeah, those kids are gone."  
  
They all walked out of the area and found Hagrid looking around for Lily.  
  
"Where have you all been?" said Hagrid.  
  
"Oh...just around, you know, buying our school supplies."   
  
"Did anyone ever tell you four that you are horrible at making innocent faces?" Said Hagrid, smiling at them.  
  
"Yes, actually."   
  
They all laughed, then said goodbye, then went there separate ways; Sarah and James leaving to go to the Leaky Caldron, Sirius and Remus heading to the Apothecary to get some potion ingredients.  
  
Lily looked at Hagrid and said, "they're nice."  
  
Hagrid's face broke into a smile. Lily could tell he was proud of them. "Yeah, great bunch of kids that lot."  
  
Then Hagrid explained that James and Sarah were cousins, and that Sarah lived with the Potters most of the time, because her father and mother were Auror's and some of the best wizard's and witches of there time. And with this Dark Lord Voldemort gaining power, they were often gone, leaving Sarah with her aunt and uncle.  
  
I hope I'm in Gryffindor, thought Lily, thinking of the friends that she might have.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW! I want Constructive Criticism, and Compliments...if you just have flames then keep them to yourself please!  
  
Everything belongs to JKR except Sarah McKinnon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

A/N: Thank you to all the people who reviewed my first chapter.  
Disclaimer: Everything except Sarah McKinnon belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
All Year Long: Chapter Two, The Four Houses  
  
Sarah McKinnon and James Potter arrived by Floo Powder at the Potter's home, after their trip to Diagon Alley. They were talking about the Muggle girl Lily that they had just met. As they sat down in the room that connected their two bedrooms, discussing her, Sirius and Remus came through their fireplace.   
  
"So, my dear friends, what topic are you discussing, this mighty fine day?" said Sirius, as though falling through someone's fireplace was as normal as eating breakfast, though in this group of friends, it probably was.  
  
"Were talking about Lily, and whether she would fit into our group well or not." Said James.  
  
"She seems like she is a goody-goody, and that she wouldn't break the rules for 100 galleons." Said Sirius, as though the thought of actually following rules was horrible.  
  
"You guys, she might loosen up, she was just shy." Sarah spoke practically, which didn't happen very often.  
  
"I agree with Sarah. We shouldn't decide whether she'll be our friend. If at Hogwarts, were friends, then we become friends." Said Remus.  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts, James..." said Sarah in her bossiest voice.  
  
The topic suddenly changed. Now it was Quidditch.  
  
"Remus, you really should try out for the team, you know." Said Sirius.  
  
"No thanks, but I don't prefer that kind of adventure..."  
  
"Aw, Remus, c'mon, it'll be fun!" Said James in his most winning voice.  
  
"Even if I did tryout I wouldn't make the team...and you know it!" said Remus.  
  
"You don't know that, Remus! You're good at Quidditch when you try." Said Sarah in her most flattering voice.  
  
"I just don't know you guys..." said Remus.   
  
They could tell he was loosening up. Sirius and James looked at Sarah, she could give the best compliments, being a girl.  
  
Taking the hint, Sarah said, "Remus, why don't you just try? You just are underestimating yourself big time!"  
  
"I don't think so..."  
  
"Remus Lupin! You are as good as Quidditch player as me, if only you'd have some confidence." Sarah said, exasperated.  
  
Remus, seeing that they saw he was weakening, said firmly, "No. I'm not trying out for the Quidditch team."  
  
Seeing that the topic was closed, Sirius started talking about pranks that they would play on people that year.  
  
"Well, definitely on Slytherins. My father said they are always a rotten bunch of kids." Said Sarah.  
  
"Yes, but what if they are all normal to us, like they just don't speak to us..." said Remus thoughtfully.  
  
"Fat chance of that. I don't believe that they would be nice to us, out of all people." Said Sirius.  
  
"Why don't you think so?" asked Remus, who, most of the time, tried to believe the best about people.  
  
"Because, all of our fathers have stolen their fathers positions at the Ministry. You know, been the people right under Minister of Magic." Said Sirius.  
  
"Well, they have to do something to us first, before we can play any tricks on them." Said Remus sternly. "Deal?"  
  
"Okay..." said James, even though it was quite obvious that he wanted to get started on them right away, and not wait for them to attack him.  
  
"Oh, you'll live James. Anyway, then we can always say 'You started it!'." Sarah said.  
  
They all laughed. Then James' mother called them all down to dinner, and Sirius and Remus said they better get going.  
  
"See you tomorrow, okay?" asked Sirius, before he left.  
  
"Yeah, we still do have to get our school stuff..." Sarah smiled, as she remembered that they were supposed to have gotten it today, but had got a little sidetracked, and had spent most of their money at the joke shop.  
  
"Yeah, okay. See ya!" said Sirius and Remus as they put Floo Powder into the fire.  
  
"'G'bye!" called James and Sarah as their friends left.  
  
~*~  
  
Later that night as James was shining up his broomsticks, Sarah walked in, with a terrified look on her face.  
  
"What's wrong," asked James quickly.  
  
"It's my parents, they've disappeared."   
  
James stared. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, positive."   
  
"How did you find out?"  
  
"I got a letter from the Ministry. They think they've been taken by Voldemort."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Sar." James got up and hugged his cousin, who hugged back, tears in her eyes.  
  
  
The next morning, Sarah and James were in the kitchen, talking to Sirius and Remus, who had been called over.  
  
"Are you okay, Sar?" asked Remus sympathetically.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine..." whispered Sarah.  
  
The three boys hated seeing one of their best friends like this, she was usually so outgoing, and friendly, with a smile on her face that this was even more horrible for them to see her like this.  
  
Sirius leaned over and gave Sarah a quick hug. "They'll find your parents, you know."  
  
Sarah looked up, and smiled her old smile. It seemed she had been waiting for someone to say this, because she said with confidence, "I know."  
  
"You guys we need to get our school stuff, still." Sarah seemed to be trying really hard to be her old self again because she stood up from the table and ran upstairs to get dressed.   
  
A couple minutes later she reappeared, wearing Muggle clothing, black jeans, and one of her favorite sweatshirts, which she had had her dad bewitch to say 'Quidditch' in shiny letters that changed colors.  
  
She smiled, and they were quickly on their way.  
  
~*~  
  
As the summer came to a close the four friends had become very excited. On September 1st Sirius and Remus came over before James and Sarah were awake. But their friends were soon up to the sounds of yelling and shaking.  
  
Soon, after James and Sarah were up, they were called down to breakfast by a very excited Mrs. Potter.   
  
"JAMES! LILY! COME DOWN TO BREAKFAST! HURRY!"   
  
Wondering what the rush was all about Sarah, James, Sirius, and Remus hurried down the stairs. Sarah, who entered the kitchen first, yelled in surprise. Then she started laughing.  
  
The three boys entered and saw what she was laughing/crying about. Her parents were sitting in the chairs at the table. They were hugging and talking all at once.  
  
After about half an hour of this, James said to Sarah, "Um, we still haven't packed all the way yet..."   
  
A surprised "Oh!" came from Sarah and she told her parents she had to pack and ran up the stairs again.  
  
A lot of rushing came around as Sarah and James were packing the final things to their trunks. They both had two trunks, the second one was full of tricks and candy, and supplies that would help them with their pranks at Hogwarts. Just as they were about to close the lids to their trunks, Sarah's father, and James' father came in the room. They smiled at their kids' trunks and spoke.  
  
"Sarah, here is something that I want you to have...it might, help you at Hogwarts..."  
  
Sarah looked in the bag she had just been given a yelled in surprise. She quickly put it into her Tricks Trunk and gave her dad a big hug.  
  
Soon after James did the same thing.   
  
Then after a bunch of commotion about getting the trunks into the car, and a "why do you have so much stuff?" from their mothers, then getting their owls to be quiet, then another "why do you have so much stuff?"  
Then Sirius' mother and father arrived, as did Remus' and they all went to Kings Cross Station.  
  
They went through the barrier, after getting hugs and kisses from their parents.  
  
When they went through and saw the scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express, they linked arms and Sarah said, "This is gonna be one heck of a year."  
  
They all nodded yes, and went to find an empty compartment.  
  
~*~  
  
Lily was in a rush...she didn't know where to sit on the Hogwarts Express. She was afraid that she wouldn't be welcome...everyone seemed to already have a group of friends. Just as she came to a compartment she looked in through the open door, and saw the kids she had seen in Diagon Alley. Sarah, James, Remus, and...Sirius? Oh yes, it was Sirius, Sirius Lee. She giggled.   
  
Sarah looked up as she heard a giggle. "Lily!"   
  
Sarah raced into the corridor, and gave Lily a big hug.  
  
Lily was startled. She didn't even think the girl had liked her very much.  
  
Sarah smiled. "How have you been?"  
  
"Fine." Lily spoke quietly, as she was still shocked.  
  
"Here, you can come and sit with us." Sarah said, leading Lily into the compartment.  
  
"Hello, Lily." Said Remus, and he smiled as she sat down.  
  
"Hello Remus. How're you?" Said Lily, returning the smile.  
  
"I'm fine thanks."  
  
The rest of the journey went without incident. Except if you counted the tons of girls that seemed to come into the compartment...they seemed to just 'drop in' to say hi...to Sirius and James.   
  
When they reached the castle and traveled across the lake with Hagrid, and went up to the castle to get sorted, everyone was in a terrible state of nervousness. Everyone was wondering what the would have to do. Everyone except Sirius, James, and Sarah. They had fathers in the Ministry, and knew exactly how they would be chosen for their houses. But they were being extremely helpful by telling everyone, 'a troll can't hurt you all that bad...' So, while everyone was freaking out about these words, the three kids were having a great time trying to hide their laughter.   
  
Professor McGonagall came into the room again, and she escorted all of them to the front of the Great Hall. A squat wizard brought out a battered old hat and set it on a stool. There was a rip near the top that opened into a mouth and the hat started talking...it was singing a song.  
  
After the song had finished Professor McGonagall said, "I will call out your name, and you will come forward, sit on the stool, and put on the hat. Then it will call out your house, and you will go and join the respective table."   
  
Glares were shot at Sarah, Sirius, and James, when they all heard this...they had seriously thought that they would have to fight a troll. The three smiled innocently, even though it was more then obvious they were guilty.   
  
"Abbot, Michael!"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!"  
  
"Bagshot, Batilda!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Black, Sirius!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Bones, Emily!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Evans, Lily!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Sarah held her breath. She really wanted to be in the same house with Lily. More names were called.  
  
"Goshawk, Miranda!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Lupin, Remus!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Malfoy, Lucius!"  
  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"McKinnon, Sarah!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat replied, just as it touched her head. She went of to sit with Sirius and Lily and Remus.  
  
Other peoples names were called. Then finally it was James' turn.  
  
"Potter, James!"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Soon after Professor Dumbledore stood up. He said a couple of announcements, then the feast began.  
  
After dinner, everyone went to there dormitories. Sarah and Lily said goodnight to the boys then they went to the room with the sign that said, 'First Years'. They chose the beds right beside the window, and got into there pajamas. It had been a long day.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Please tell me how you liked it! R/R Please! Constructive Criticism and Compliments are welcome! Please keep your flames to yourself!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
